Advise
A technical audit, before you decide what to do with your software
Fix it, extend it, replace it or leave it alone? A technical audit gives you the facts to decide. We review the code, the database, security, performance, dependencies and hosting of an existing application, and write down what we found and what it would take to address it.
An audit is useful before a large investment, when taking over software from another supplier, after a security scare or when nobody is sure what state the application is in. We agree the scope with you first, so the report answers your questions rather than listing everything that could be improved.
Every finding comes with evidence, a severity and an estimate of the effort needed to fix it. The report is written for two readers: management, who need a summary and a recommendation, and the developers who will do the work.
What it can look like
- HighPasswords stored with an outdated hashEffort: 1 day
- HighFramework version out of supportEffort: 2–3 days
- MediumNo index on orders by customerEffort: 2 hours
- MediumBackups never test-restoredEffort: half a day
- LowUnused libraries still deployedEffort: 2 hours
- LowNo technical documentationEffort: 2 days
Findings from a technical audit report. Filter them by severity.
What we deliver
An agreed scope
Code, database, security, performance, dependencies, hosting and documentation, or the parts that matter to you.
A review on a copy
The application run and measured on a copy, never on your live systems.
Prioritised findings
Each finding with evidence, severity and the effort needed to fix it.
A management summary
The state of the application in plain language and our recommendation.
Fixed-price follow-up
If you want us to address the findings, each one can be quoted at a fixed price.
Typical projects
Before buying a company
A review of the target company's main application: how maintainable it is, what is out of date and what it would cost to bring up to standard.
Taking over from another supplier
An inventory of what exists, what is missing and what must be fixed first before anyone else maintains it.
Replace or keep?
A comparison of the effort to fix the current application with the effort to rebuild it, with a recommendation.
Technologies
- C# / .NET
- PHP
- JavaScript
- VB6, Delphi, Access
- SQL Server
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- Oracle
- DB2
How we work
Scope of the audit
We agree in writing what the audit covers: code, database, security, performance, hosting, documentation, or a selection of these.
Access to a copy
You give us read access to the source code and a copy of the database with test data. We sign an NDA first if you want one.
Review and measurements
We read the code, run the application on a copy, measure what can be measured and note every finding with evidence.
Written report
You receive a report with prioritised findings, the effort each fix requires and our recommendation. Fixes can then be quoted at a fixed price.
Price and payment
Payment terms
We ask for 50% to start and 50% on acceptance. The second half is due before go-live and before the source code is handed over. Larger projects are split into milestone payments.
Every proposal states a fixed price for the work it describes, agreed in writing before work starts. If the scope changes, we send a new written quote and wait for your approval before doing the extra work.
Prices exclude VAT.
Questions about this service
How long does an audit take?
It depends on the size of the application and on the scope. The proposal states the timeline together with the fixed price.
Do you need access to our live systems?
No. We work on a copy of the source code and of the database with test data.
Is the report useful if another company does the work?
Yes. It is written so that any competent developer can act on it.
Can the audit be free?
For legacy modernisation, the initial written assessment is free. A full technical audit is quoted at a fixed price agreed in advance.
Contact
Use whichever channel suits you. We reply within one working day, in writing.
By email
riccardo@Tell us what the application does and why you want the audit. We reply within one working day.
Send us your file
For Access, Excel, VB6, Delphi or older .NET software, you receive a free written assessment within 48 hours of sending the file.
- Make a copy, with test data if you prefer.
- Attach it to the form or to an email, ideally as a password-protected archive with the password sent separately. If you ask, we sign an NDA first.
- Within 48 hours: the assessment and a fixed price for a pilot module.
We work from Italy.